


The Scorch Trials: Phase 2.

by AdenaMazeRunner (KaoruSaitoh)



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner, the maze runner
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 03:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2907329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaoruSaitoh/pseuds/AdenaMazeRunner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jorge and Brenda might not have been the only ones that the Gladers picked up in The Scorch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Scorch Trials: Beginnings

Thomas pulled in a gasp of surprise; the voice had come from above. He looked up just as the others did. A face looked down at them from the shredded remains of the third floor, that of a young Hispanic man. His eyes were slightly wild, and Thomas felt a belt of tension cinch inside him. "Who're you?" Minho shouted. Then, to Thomas's utter disbelief, the man jumped through the jagged hole in the ceilings, falling towards them. At the last second, he crumpled into a human ball and rolled three times, then sprang up and landed on his feet. "My name is Jorge," he said, his arms outstretched as if he expected applause for his acrobatics. "And I'm the Crank who runs this place." Thomas and the Gladers looked at him in surprise. "How many of you are there?" Jorge laughed at Newt's question. "How many? How many Cranks? We're all Cranks here, hermano." Newt glared and crossed his arms. "That's not what I meant and you bloody know it." Before Jorge could reply, a clear voice rang out to the right of the Gladers. "Don't even think about it, Jorge. I never liked you before, and I'm not starting now." A girl, no more than seventeen, stepped in between the groups, brandishing a giant longbow with a silver tipped arrow pulled back on the string. The girl was tall, with blonde hair that was bound back in a ponytail and ice blue eyes that seemed to be calculating everything. The Gladers stared at her for a moment, shocked. "So, the little princesa returns. Come for a fight?" She smiled darkly, her sharp, white canines showing. "You'd never win." He stopped, thinking. Thomas stepped forward. "Who are you?" She raised an eyebrow, then looked around the group. "Seeing as how I have the weapon, I think I should know who you are first." "I'm Thomas." You could've heard a pin drop. Jorge and the girl exchanged a glance before Jorge said, "We need to talk. Alone." Thomas looked around doubtfully; he didn't want to leave his friends behind. The girl noticed the look on his face and pulled her arrow off the bowstring, placing it in her quiver. "I'll stay here." Thomas looked at her, debating whether to trust her or not. She smiled slightly, seeming to read his mind. "You can trust me." He nodded and followed Jorge through the door. 

After Thomas left, the girl went and sat down on a piece of rubble. The Gladers crowded around her, asking question after question. She kept her head down for a few minutes, then looked up. "Shut it!" The room was dead quiet. She smiled slightly. "The name's Adena. I've been here since I was eight, learning to survive. And that's all you need to know." Strangely, the Gladers remained silent, breaking off into small groups to wonder about what they just heard. Even Minho slipped off to a corner. Newt, however, remained, seemingly fixed to where he was sitting. "Is it true?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would I lie? I have nothing to gain by lying." He nodded slowly, thinking. "Our trust." "What?" "You could be trying to get out trust, just to kill us." She scoffed. "If I wanted to kill you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You'd be dead." Adena turned away, holding her bow close. "Adena..." She looked at him sharply. "What?" "I like it." She leaned back, surprised at his words. "W-what?" He smiled slightly, blushing. "I like your name." He stood up and walked over to Minho, his face bright red. Adena smiled to herself. A few minutes later, Thomas and Jorge came out of the door. The Gladers all rushed to Thomas and the Cranks gathered around Jorge. Adena sat back, waiting. She shouldn't interfere now. When Adena looked up, Newt was standing over her. She smirked. "Come to a decision?" He nodded. "Jorge and Brenda are going to feed us, then take us through the Scorch, but we have to give them the cure." Adena tilted her head back, analyzing. "Will you take me with you?" Newt stepped back, seemingly shocked. "W-what?" "Take me with you. You don't even have to give me the cure." He glanced back at Thomas, then looked down at her. "Let me talk to him." He walked off and she smirked again, standing. Thomas and Minho looked over at her as she walked over. "Why do you want to go with us?" Minho's voice came out rather blunt. "Because I've got the best experience and weapons in the whole Scorch. I can protect you better than them, but if I could have their help, it'll be even easier." They looked at each other, then nodded. Adena smiled, nodding. "Let's do this."

Jorge and Brenda led the Gladers to their underground food warehouse, Adena and Newt bringing up the rear of the group.When they got there, Brenda and Adena helped pass out cans of food to the ravenous boys. "I think that one likes you." Adena turned, smiling. "What do you mean?" Brenda snorted a laugh. "The one with the accent. He's always staring at you, and he doesn't walk away from you for very long." Adena shrugged, absently handing a can to Frypan. "I guess.." She picked up a two cans and went to sit down. Newt wasn't far behind, almost falling as he sat down. After a few minutes of quietly chewing, Adena looked at him from the corner of her eye. "How come you limp?" He looked shocked at first, then sad. "I tried jumping off the walls of the Maze we were in. Thomas told you about it?" She nodded. "Was it that bad?" It was Newt's turn to nod. "So many shuckin' days, years, we were in there. I couldn't take it." She looked at him seriously, putting her food down. "I told you I came here when I was eight?" "Yes." "There are a few more... Bloody details." His eyebrows dropped and he looked confused. "I came because I didn't want to be separated from my family. My mom, my dad and my brother. I watched them lose their minds. THey tried to kill me, all three of them. You can fill in the rest, I'm sure." Adena picked up her food and took a large bite, but Newt looked like he was going to be sick. "You had to do that?" She nodded silently. He was about to reply when a loud explosion rang out. Adena instinctively jumped to her feet, dragging Newt with her. "The Cranks found us. Time to move. She ran over to Jorge, who was herding Gladers out the door. "Where's Brenda and Thomas?" He looked at her seriously. "They got separated by the explosion. We'll find them later." Just as he finished, a second explosion rattled the building and they dashed out the door. They ran down long hallways, but halfway down the second hallway, a Crank popped out of a darkened doorway, right in front of Newt. It reached a long clawed hand out for him, cackling wildly. Suddenly, an arrow appeared, protruding from it's left eye socket. Newt looked back in horror at Adena, who already had another arrow on the string. "Move. We have to run." They started forward, but more Cranks seemed to be pouring out of the room. Adena grabbed Newt's hand and practically dragged him down the hallway to a window. "We have to jump." He looked at her like she was insane. "Are you serious?! Are you trying to kill me?" She grabbed his arms and looked him in the eye, deathly serious. "Do you trust me?" He stared at her, then gulped. Hearing the Cranks get closer, he nodded tensly. Adena smiled as she picked him up and tossed him out the window.


	2. The Scorch Trials: Trust and Doubt

Newt screamed as he hurtled downward. When he hit the ground, he expected pain, but instead felt something soft. He looked down, surprised. It was a pile of white... Fluff. Adena landed next to him with a soft thump, then grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the alley. "What was that?" She smiled. "I collected old mattresses, pillows. Anything soft I could find in the city. I have a bunch of spots around the whole area." Her voice seemed to become automatic as she darted down passages and slipped past buildings. "We're almost there." Newt looked at her, slight fear creeping into his mind. She seemed to feel it because she suddenly stopped and looked him in the eyes.. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have saved you from the Cranks." Her voice was serious, but he could sense the pain laced through the words. After a few more minutes of silent running, they came up to a dilapidated old building. Windows were smashed, and the structure seemed to sway in the slightest breeze. "What is this place?" Adena smiled, a little warmer that he'd seen so far. "I live here. Come on."

After a climb up thirteen flights of stairs, Adena shoved the door open. "No more stairs." It seemed to be an old hotel, now that they were inside and she led him down the hallway to the last door on the right. "This was the best room they had. Well, since the sun flares, anyway." She shoved the door open, then promptly ducked as a knife came flying out, slamming into the door across the hall. Newt gaped at it as it sat, quivering in the door. "Security system. Makes the Cranks think twice about coming up here." She walked around the whole room, turning off defense systems and more weapon launchers. When she was finally finished, she turned around, putting her hands on her hips. "This is where I've lived for about four years." He looked around. The place was fairly simple, but in good condition compared to the rest of the city. There was a bed in one corner and a pile of weapons in another. "I've got food, too, if you're still hungry." He shook his head, then noticed a small table with a picture on it. Adena and a strange boy were together, one arm around each other, and it looked like Adena was the one who was holding the camera and they seemed... Happy. "Who is this?" She turned around and a shadow came over her face. "My boyfriend. He brought the camera with him when he came here." Newt was surprised; he didn't think people would bring anything. "Was he a..." He didn't want to upset her, but he wanted to know. 'Thanks, Thomas...' He thought; knowing that Thomas would be asking a million questions by now. " Adena slowly leaned against the wall behind her, tilting her head back. "When he first came, three years ago, he insisted he was immune. I was so tired of being alone that I believed him. We were together for two years before he snapped." Newt noticed tears in her eyes as she slid to the floor, covering her face with her hands. He picked his way over to her and sat down, unsure of whether to touch her and comfort her or not. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I don't have to know." She shook her head, looking up. "I haven't had any sane contact with other people for a year. I need to talk to someone." He nodded, scooting closer. "One day, he started acting weird. He wanted to take a different route from the one we normally took; except the route he wanted to take led deeper in the the Crank-infested part of the city. I told him I wasn't going. He argued, which wasn't like him. He said... Hurtful things. I ran off crying." She sniffled, wiping her nose, and Newt finally gathered the courage to put his hand on her shoulder. "I had come back here and cried myself to sleep, and when I woke up, he was standing there by the door. He was covered in blood and had a huge knife. Just the hatred in his eyes could've killed me. He came at me with the knife, but..." She stopped, a haunted look on her face as tears filled her eyes again. "I was faster." She broke down, sobbing and Newt numbly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "Adena... It wasn't your fault..." For a few minutes, all he could hear was the sound of her crying, which broke his heart. Finally, her tears subsided and she lay huddled in his arms. "But it was my fault... I never should've listened to him..." "If I had been here without any contact for five years, I'd go a little crazy and accept the most sane person." She looked up at him, then down at her hands. "You... You don't think I did the wrong thing?" Newt shook his head vigorously. "Now, how about we go find the others?" She nodded, standing up and turning to the weapons pile. "You'll need some... Here." Adena started handing him different weapons to try before she pulled out another bow. Her gaze lingered sadly on it, before handing it to him. 'Was this his?" She nodded and Newt looked at it strangely. "I... I don't know how to use it." She smiled and walked over, taking his hands. "You're right handed?" He nodded. "Alright. take this part in your left hand. No; lower. There you go. Now," She picked up an arrow. "This part clips to the string. Pull it back, as close to your chin as you can. Bend your left arm a little. Now... Loose." The fingers on his right hand slipped of the string and the arrow flew away and slammed into the wall. He gasped as she laughed. "I'm so sorry!" "If I was worried about getting a hole in my wall, would I have told you to fire?" He shrugged, blushing. She smiled, shaking her head as she pulled the arrow out of the wall. She dropped it into the extra quiver and handed it to him. "Newt." He looked at her and noticed a new seriousness about her. "Adena?" She picked up her quiver, slinging it over her shoulder and picking up her bow. Then, she walked over and stood close, closer than Newt was used to. "Promise me something?" He nodded. "Promise you won't die." He drew in a quick breath to reply, but she put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Promise me seriously. Don't just reply. You have to stay alive for more than just staying alive now." He looked down at her, her eyes... Her lips. Before he could stop himself, he leaned down and kissed her. She seemed shocked at first, but closed her eyes, leaning closer. And, for one moment, for Newt and Adena, the world was perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Adena led Newt through the winding streets of the Crank infested city. She tracked the Gladers fairly well, and finally, caught a glimpse of them running down an alley. She grabbed him and they ran down the alley, catching up with the group. Minho turned, about to attack until he saw who it was. "Newt! Where've you been?" Newt shook his head and looked around. "Where's Tommy?" "We're about to get him back." Jorge gestured to the door they were at. "Thomas and Brenda ran into some Cranks that are further Gone. We've followed them here and we're going to storm the place now that we have weapons." Adena looked around the group and groaned in frustration. "I should've brought some extras." Jorge put a finger over his lips, then flung the door open and rushed in. Everyone followed suit, but there wasn't anyone to fight. All the Cranks were passed out on the floor, some slumped against the walls or chairs. Adena stepped over several people before noticing a doorway at the far end of the room. "There!" She pointed with her bow, then rushed to the door, leaning against it to listen. Newt and Minho were right behind her, trying to open the door, but she gestured for them to be quiet. Leaning against the door again, she heard Thomas and Brenda's voices. "They're in here. We have to be careful, so on my count. One, two, th-" The third count was cut off by a clawed hand, reaching up and grabbing her by the hair. The Crank attached to it started dragging her away, grotesquely giggling as he did. "Adena!!" Newt practically roared as he leaped towards the Crank, waving his machete wildly. The Crank shrieked and tried to back away, but Newt wouldn't stop. After a few more slices and cries from the diseased man, it was quiet. Adena lay on the floor, holding her head and panting. Immediately, Newt was by her side, taking her hand. "What's wrong? Does it hurt too bad? What do you want me to do?" She reached over, putting her hand on his. "Just... Give me a second." The pain in her voice made his stomach tie in knots. Finally, she sat up, then stood, walking back over to the door. "No counting." Bringing her leg back, she viciously kicked the door open. Almost immediately, three Cranks appeared on the stairs, looking up at them. Two arrows were already on their way by the time the Cranks were halfway up the stairs, hitting the first. The second and the third dodged the next arrow and continued upward. Adena swung backwards, out of the way of the oncoming blade and Newt stepped in, stabbing the oncoming in the chest. The third rushed on, stepping over his partner's body. Stretching out his hand, he caught Adena on the cheek, leaving a long scratch. She grunted in pain, but brought up her bow, hitting him on the head and throwing him across the room. Minho and the others tackled him, pinning him down. Stepping back, Adena let Newt run downstairs, then followed. After letting their eyes adjust to the darkness, they looked around. "There!" She pointed to two figures tied to chairs across the room. "Tommy!" Newt dashed over and cut the ropes on him and Brenda, helping them up. Thomas looked between them, then over at Minho, who had just run down. "What happened?" His voice croaked slightly as Minho helped keep him upright. "Cranks. We'd better go, this place is really popular for 'em. They'll be here soon." Adena cast a furtive glance at Newt, then helped Brenda up the stairs. Minho, Thomas and Newt followed, squinting in the light, but moving quickly. They had just gotten out of the door and were exiting the alley when a shout stopped them. They turned, seeing a Crank clutching a gun. "You're not going anywhere..." His hand shaking violently, he pulled the trigger. Thomas pushed Newt and Minho out of the way, then fell back. Newt and Adena were next to him in an instant, Newt telling him to hang on, Adena demanding what hurt and where, ripping his shirt open. His vision faded and he closed his eyes, laying his head down. Minho had tackled the gun-wielder and was punching the life out of him. "Let's go! A bunch of them will have heard that! We gotta move!!" Newt helped her pick Thomas up and start carrying him out before some of the other Gladers came to their senses and started helping. 

Later, when they had put several miles between them and the city, Newt called for everyone to rest. Adena dropped down in the sand, panting from the exertion. "I'm not used to carrying people all over the place." She laughed quietly when suddenly, out of nowhere, a Berg appeared above them. Everyone jumped to their feet, even Jorge and Brenda. It lowered to the ground and several men ran down, picking up Thomas and carrying him aboard. "We're going to take care of him." One of the men said over his shoulder. The Berg lifted and disappeared into the sky. The small group stood, dumbfounded, until Jorge broke the silence. "Nothing we can do now but rest." Several people nodded and one or two of the younger boys yawned. Adena walked away from the group, making her own little pallet on the ground. Newt came over, almost timidly, and sat down. "Do you mind?..." She smiled up at him. "Make yourself comfortable." He spread his own tarp and blanket, slightly overlapping hers, and laid down next to her, looking up at the sky. "What do you think they're doing to him up there?" She shrugged. "Hopefully nothing too bad..." Their voices faded, seemingly carried away by the wind, and for a few moments, they said nothing. Slowly, Newt slid his arm under her head, supporting her neck as he did. He noticed a faint smile on her lips. He closed his eyes, then felt her shifting and moving closer. He heard her sigh and felt a slight weight on his chest. When he looked down, he saw that she had cuddled close to him, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "Newt..." "Hm?" "Promise me something." She looked up seriously, with sadness in her eyes. "Promise that if I ever lose it... Go crazy... You'll kill me." He looked at her, shocked. "Adena... You know I couldn't do that!" "Newt..." The pleading tone in her voice hurt him, but what hurt him worse was the defeat. She was giving up. "I'm not going to let that happen. I... I promise you that." "Then promise me something else." He looked at her doubtfully. "Promise you'll be with me until I die." "I promise, love." And he sealed it with a kiss.


	4. The Scorch Trials: Don't Think. Run.

Newt woke quickly, gasping in a quiet breath. He looked down, expecting his new friend, but she wasn't there. Sitting up quickly, he scanned the campsite and thought he saw someone a little ways away. It was still dark, but hazy, soft light on the horizon indicated that morning would come soon. Newt stood, stretching and yawning, then walked toward the figure. He could tell it was Adena, but when he got closer, he stopped. Her soft voice carried, and he sighed at her singing. "Who can say for certain? Maybe you're still here, I feel you all around me, your memories, so clear... Deep in the stillness, I can hear you speak. You're still an inspiration, can it be? That you are mine, forever love, and you are watching over me from up above? Fly me up to where you are, beyond the distant star. I wish upon tonight to see you smile... If only for a while to know you're there... A breath away's not far to where you are." The tune wasn't familiar to Newt, but it stirred something in him. Maybe it was her voice, or the circumstances, but as he looked at her and listened, he felt tears well up in his eyes and spill down his cheeks. "I know you're there.... I breath away's not far to where you are..." He heard her sigh as she finished singing. An unsettling quiet settled, making Newt wish she would sing again. "Jacob..." He looked up quickly. "I know it's been a while, but, um..." She lifted her shoulders in a confused gesture." "Hope you've been alright. As good as you can get where you are." There was a pause and Newt could sense she was sad. "So, um, Jacob? If you can hear me, I want to ask... Well, it's not that I've forgotten you. I kept my promise so far. But... You always talked about something happening to you and wanting to find more people that I could be with and well... I found some..." Sniffing, she ran her hands through her hair. Tears had welled up in her eyes and were threatening to spill over her cheeks. "You always told me that someday we would get away from the Cranks... Find a safe place. Start a family..." Her voice cracked. "So, if it's okay... I found someone else... I hope he's okay with you... But... I just miss you..." Newt drew in a quick breath as she began sobbing, dropping her head. Tiptoeing over, he stood next to her. "Hey." She looked up, surprised. Oh, it's you..." He nodded, gesturing to the ground and she shrugged nodding. "How much did you hear?" "Um... W-when you stopped singing. Well, I heard you sing too, but I-I just-..." Looking over, he noticed her staring at the ground. "I-I'm sorry..." "It's fine. You might as well know, I talk to dead people." She laughed humorlessly. "Adena..." "Hm?" Newt stuttered, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted. "I heard you saying something about a family, and, well, once this whole trial is over, we should be out." She looked at him seriously and he blushed. "You could...-I mean, if you wanted to, I could-Or we could.-" Reaching up, Adena put her hand on his shoulder. "I get it. You don't have to worry about embarrassing yourself. The only thing is... I'm so different from you. You can see the light when it gets dark. I... I can't..." She looked back down, wrapping her arms around her knees. Without a word, Newt scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "I don't always see the light... And I think the only reason you don't is because you haven't had anyone show you the light. I can try, even though there are thing wrong with me, I'll try." A quiet intake of breath, a slight tensing, then relaxing. "Thank you, Newt." "You're welcome, Adena."

A few hours later, the Berg reappeared. It hovered long enough for a small group of men to bring Thomas down, then go back up without a word. Everyone quickly gathered around as Minho, Newt, Adena, and Brenda leaned over Thomas, looking at him. "Do you think he's alright?" Adena tilted her head. "If I'm guessing right, I'd say they don't want him to die just yet. They probably saved his-" Thomas' eyes flew open and he gasped, making the group jump and pull back a little. He looked around, confused. "Hey, guys. What'd I miss?" A relaxed air settled over them as they all laughed. Minho helped Thomas sit up, and Brenda sat next to him, looking at him. Adena coughed, smiling and Brenda wrinkled her nose, laughing. The world seemed right. Until later. They had begun walking again, holding the tarp over their heads to block the heat. Suddenly, Minho, at the head of the group called for them to stop. "There's something ahead. I think it's a group of... Girls!" Everyone started talking quietly, but Minho took charge immediately. "Everyone stay put. We can wait for them here." Adena tilted her head. "They're still a ways a way. Can't we walk a little further? Sitting is worse than walking." He thought it over, then nodded. "Let's go!" They resumed, and it wasn't long before the two groups met. A collective gasp rippled through the remaining Gladers. "Teresa?" Thomas' voice was quiet and full of disbelief. "Give us Thomas and we'll live. Refuse, and we'll kill you all, take Thomas, then leave." Teresa's voice had a new ring to it, commanding. Dangerous. Adena leaned close to Newt. "Who is this chick?" "She came to the Glade right after Thomas. They were apparently close before the maze, and they have this weird telepathy thing. At least they used to." Up ahead, Thomas was in a fierce discussion with Minho. Newt and Adena walked over. "Look, I'll just go! They have weapons, we don't. Well, no good ones..." "Hey." Adena put her hands on her hips. "I have plenty of weapons." "But that's just you. The rest of us don't." "It doesn't matter! We're not giving you to her! I don't trust her!" Minho's voice had risen to a near shout, but Thomas just stepped back. "You can't stop me. I'll be fine." He had started walking forward when Adena noticed another boy trying to follow him. "Aris?" He turned around, looking like a child who had just been caught stealing a cookie. "Where are you going?" He sighed. "That's my family. I... I'm going to go with them..." The Glader group was left speechless as they watched their leader walk off into the distance. 

"Why can't we go after them?! I can shoot from a distance, injure them so they can't get to their weapons and bam! We get Thomas and the other kid back!" Newt and Minho leaned forward over the small fire. "No," Minho's voice was firm. "I can't risk losing anyone. What if you miss?" Adena leaned forward, almost touching noses with him. "You insult me. I never miss." He rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and looked away. "Newt, you talk to her. She's your girlfriend." Newt's face turned bright red and he stood, clearing his throat. "Adena, can we talk?" She glared at Minho, then followed Newt a little ways. "What?" "We can't get Thomas yet." "We need our leader!" She practically exploded. "Don't you think I know that?! With Tomas gone, everyone looks to me, and I don't want that! I'm not a leader, I don't plan, I..." He stopped, breathing heavily. "I couldn't even get out of the Maze in one piece." "What are you talking about?" His face was serious, and his tone grim. "I'm sure you noticed that I limp?" She nodded. "I used to be a Runner, in the Maze. I started getting depressed. I couldn't take it, there was no way out. So I climbed up the vines as high as I could, and jumped." Adena gasped quietly, then whispered, "You tried to kill yourself..." He nodded, turning away. "So I don't always see the light at the end..." Moving impulsively, Adena hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry. It's late, we're all tired, let's get some rest. We need to keep walking tomorrow."

That night, as everyone slept, no one say the dim shadow slipping away from their camp. No one but Newt, however. And he decided to follow the shadow, to whatever lay ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one's so short, I was limited on time.


	5. The Desert

Newt closed his eyes, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead. He'd been tracking her for miles and even in the cold of the night, he was starting to get hot. He glanced back, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he was leaving his group, his friends. People who trusted him. But something in his heart told him Adena needed him. The mystery surrounding her was too thick to just leave alone and he could sense she was hiding something. After about thirty minutes of walking he arrived at a lone building, at least 15 stories. The footprints led inside, so he slowly entered, glancing around for Cranks. Newt shivered; the quiet was so unnerving he'd almost rather have the monsters to deal with than this. He walked to the stairs, climbing upwards. At each floor, the doors leading inside were barricaded, making it impossible for him to explore. Instead, he trudged upward until he reached the top. Shoving the door open, he stepped onto the roof, feeling a cold breeze hit him. He let out a gasp and stepped back before pushing ahead. "Adena?" The roof was fairly large and he decided to search the right side first. As soon as he turned the corner, he saw a lone figure standing on the ledge, staring down. He rushed forward, stopping just behind her. "Adena!" She turned slightly, looking at him. "You found me." The flatness of her voice, the hollow echo of her words cut him to the heart. "Why wouldn't I..." She sighed, turning back. "I wish you hadn't..." "You're not going to jump, are you?" Slowly, she reached up, pulling off her bow and quiver and tossing them back to him. "Take them; I won't be needing them anymore.. I want you to survive, okay?" She turned back, putting her leg out. As quickly as he could, Newt threw the bow down, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. She kicked, accidentally hitting his leg, but he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Let me go! Just stop!" He shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "I can't do that..." She pushed away, but he pulled her closer. "Why?!" He leaned forward, his mouth close to her ear. "Because I love you... and I can't lose you..." Slowly, she stopped struggling, leaning into his arms. "I just... can't... you can't hear it.." Leaning back, he looked down at her. "What.. what do you mean?" He noticed tears streaming down her cheeks. "Being alone for so long.. around those freaks... I may be immune, but the Flare still affects me in some ways.." Slowly, he walked her over to a bench, sitting her down. "What's that mean?" "I hear voices.. they're in my head and they tell me that.. it would be better..." She stared out into the distance. A shiver ran down his spine as the realization hit him and he reached up, gently putting his hands on her cheeks, pulling her face towards his. "It wouldn't be better.. you helped us get out of there, you're helping us across this wasteland. You're strong, smart, and you're good with your weapons. You know how to survive and face the worst odds.." Adena's eyes filled with tears, spilling down her cheeks and he gently wiped them away. "I'll always be here to keep those voices quiet.. because they're not you." Newt stared into her eyes, slowly leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers. When they first touched, she stiffened, then wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Her fingers ran through his hair and he smiled, pulling her closer. When they pulled away, she looked down, her cheeks red. "I'm sorry..." He put his hand under her chin, looking at her. "Don't apologize.. just stay alive." She smiled slowly, nodding. "We should get back before they notice we're gone.." Standing, he held out his hand to her and helped her up. "I was going to ask, how'd you get here so fast?" Picking up her bow and arrow, she pointed at her feet and he noticed she wasn't wearing shoes. There was a strange wrapping around both her feet and she pulled more out of her small backpack. "This doesn't weigh your feet down into the sand and you can run better. Sit down and I'll help you." A few minutes later, both Newt's feet were wrapped and he tilted his head. "This feels kinda weird.. but if it works, let's go!" She grabbed his hand, giving him one of her mischievous smiles before pulling him down the stairs. When they got out onto the sand, he could walk faster and smiled at her. "How long did it take you to figure this out?" She sighed, stretching. "A few years. That, and I didn't have shoes in the city, so I had to figure it out quickly." Once again, she took his hand. "I'll lead the way. Do you trust me?" He smiled, nodding. "Always." She took off, running faster than he'd seen her run before and somehow, he was keeping up with her. They made it back to the camp just as the sun came up and the others were packing up their things. Minho looked at the two of them, raising his eyebrows. "Where were you two?" Adena grabbed her sleeping pack, rolling it up. "We went for a walk. To talk and stuff." Minho and Thomas looked at each other, smiling as Newt blushed. "Shouldn't we get going?" Thomas looked around, making sure everyone was packed before nodding. "Let's head out!"


End file.
